We aim to provide young people with a place to train their dogs and compete against members of a similar age (aged 6-24).
We owe our existence to the vision of one person: Daphne MacDougall. Daphne was instrumental during the 1980s in convincing The Kennel Club that young people needed a club and a voice of their own within The Kennel Club.
All this began with one person's vision and has gone on to be a great organisation for young people to be part of.
1985 - The Kennel Club Junior Organisation began
In 1985 The Kennel Club founded the first membership organisation for young people. We were not called the Young Kennel Club back then, instead we were known as the "Kennel Club Junior Organisation" or "KCJO" for short.
Back then the country was split into eight regions, with The Kennel Club’s Board appointing a leader for each region to organise their own activities, with a number of national competitions throughout the year.
1986 - Shaun McAlpine award
1998 - Dedicated Crufts ring
2001 - Name change
2002 - Young Kennel Club volunteers
2005 - Fetch and Cinnamon Trust
August 2005 saw the very first edition of the Young Kennel Club's magazine ‘Fetch’. All members of the Young Kennel Club receive a copy of Fetch throughout the year. 'Fetch' is full of fun stories and competitions for Young Kennel Club members to get involved in.
2005 also saw the start of the partnership between the Young Kennel Club and the Cinnamon Trust. This charity enables elderly people to retain the companionship of their own pets by organising volunteers to step in to assist with walking and general pet care. The Young Kennel Club and the Cinnamon Trust began an award to recognise the dedication of young people.
2005 - Young Kennel Club supports an agility competitor in Junior Agility World Championships
2008 - Artists and Britain's Got Talent
In 2008, the Young Kennel Club started to recognise budding artists, by creating an Artist of the Year award. The winners have had their artworks displayed at Crufts, and more recently, they have been on the the front cover of Young Kennel Club’s competitor catalogue.
In 2008, the Young Kennel Club saw its first member achieve greatness on the TV. Kate and Gin made it to final of 'Britain's Got Talent'.
2012 - Britain's Got Talent Winner
In 2012, we saw our second member achieve greatness on television. Ashleigh and Pudsey also appeared on 'Britain's Got Talent' and won!
2016 - Junior Agility World Championships and 25 years of Young Kennel Club
In 2016 we sent a team to the Junior Agility World Championships in Slovakia for the first time. Since then a strong team has been present at the championships. In total they have received 12 Bronzes, 3 Silvers and 4 Golds
The Young Kennel Club celebrated 25 years at Crufts during this year. All the previous and current Chairman attended to mark the occasion.